The Village People’s Iconic Cowboy
R A N D Y   J O N E S

Brings His Vocal Machismo To New Single
‘H  a  r  d    T  i  m  e  s’

Tough times certainly come and go, but with the will to win, empowered individuals always land “on the right line.” That’s the overwhelming lyrical theme of “Hard Times,” the latest single from New York City-based indie label Young Pals Music. 

Leading the vocal charge on “Hard Times” is multi-platinum recording artist and American Music Award Winner Randy Jones, who is beloved as the iconic Original Cowboy from Village People. Jones, through a career spanning five decades, has sold more than 100 million singles/albums and garnered in excess of a quarter billion views on YouTube, thanks to "Macho Man," "In the Navy," "Go West", “YMCA”, and his solo efforts.  Add to that the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine and a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, alongside countless appearances in movies, TV and documentaries.

Randy Jones not only remains a fixture among New York City’s entertainment illuminati, but he is a gifted solo artist. Contributing to songwriter/producer Ayhan Sahin’s joyous full-length album “Pop,” Jones and his vocal machismo saddle up and stride atop an irresistible uptempo, tribal-world music inspired track, driven by an ultimately skillful chemistry of tasty acoustic guitars, complex pounding percussion and a chorus of saucy angelic voices. The song’s positive message is about being in the right place at the right time—to cross life’s finish line.

Jones sings, “Hard times, they happen all the time, we go on and on, gotta land on the right line/Hard times, they can destroy your mind, you must endure the grind, till you get on the right line.”

“Hard Times” is the unprecedented seventh release from “Pop.” Previous single “Another Bad Mistake” featured lead vocals from beloved disco act Anita Ward, renowned for her seminal No. 1 “Ring My Bell,” which hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100, Disco, and Soul Singles charts in 1979. 

In April, “Pop” was awarded The Akademia Music Award for Best Rock Song for previous single “Drink.” It offers 12+ diverse vocalists & musicians across a myriad of styles, including R&B & soul, dance, jazz, country and of course… pop.  All songs are co-written and co-produced by Sahin with hit songwriter Bernadette O’Reilly, who has also worked for three decades in artist relations, management and song placement.

Jones—presently working the success of his newly-released solo cd, MISTER RIGHT—says, “Ayhan has been an ally of mine and a fellow New York City musician for more than a decade. I’m a upbeat kind of guy and so is he. When he reached out to me to contribute to ‘Pop,’ come on, man... I smiled, he smiled and we were creating more than a little magic in the studio. Singing and co-writing “Hard Times” is definitely a meeting of the minds with its message about the struggle to be your best.”

Sahin adds, “I have so many great memories attending Randy’s weekly hosted events at Splash NYC, which drew thousands of fans, old and new. His energy continues to ignite generations. Then there’s that constant smile. Randy is such a perfect fit for ‘Hard Times.’ Yes, I am thrilled to have him on board.”

As a songwriter and producer, Sahin has achieved notoriety in pop, rock, dance and musical theater, while working with Olivia Newton-John, Melba Moore, Phoebe Snow, Broadway actress Bianca Marroquín, Turkish superstars Sezen Aksu and Sertab Erener, Sandra Bernhard and five “American Idol” finalists. He has appeared live on Telemundo, while Sahin’s music has been featured on CNN, The Los Angeles Times, Playbill, MTV, Yahoo! Music and “The Wendy Williams Show”; and heralded by USA Today, New York magazine, MTV and The New York Daily News.